custom kitchen remodeling Archives

5 Mistakes to Avoid During A Custom Kitchen Remodel

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / No Comments

Your home is typically your most valuable asset, and deciding to undertake a custom kitchen remodel is an important and exciting decision.

Many Orange County homeowners purchase a house or condo knowing at some point they will want to customize and make the space their own. Custom kitchen remodeling represents a sizable investment in a complex process. Even a minor mistake leads to major timeline and/or budgetary setbacks.

To help you get the results you want with the least amount of stress, avoid these five most common mistakes homeowners make during a remodel.

Automatically Hiring the Lowest Bidder

When considering a custom kitchen remodel, meet with a few different general contractors and obtain multiple bids. While it may be tempting to go with the cheapest bid received, that’s not always the best course of action.

The Problem. The lowest bidder may provide quality work and deliver acceptable results, but more commonly, they cause stress and headaches. From poor craftsmanship or low-quality materials to deviating from the project scope, or submitting numerous change orders for items not initially considered, the lowest bid may not always be the best solution.

The Solution. Instead, get several bids from various contractors and then compare your options. Make sure the bids or estimates you consider are for the same work and the same materials and finishes. Ask yourself:

Who did you feel most comfortable with and confident in?
Who else in the community used them?
What do each of the contractors bring to the table?
Have any of the contractors built your dream space before? Have they shared photos online?

Focusing Solely on Aesthetics

The Problem. During the planning phase of a custom kitchen remodeling project, it is easy to focus on beauty and not functionality. Updating your kitchen so that it’s on-trend and updated to today’s colors doesn’t make the space serve you better. Don’t spend a fortune on a beautiful room that’s not built for the way you cook or entertain.

The Solution. Opt for a layout that works for you and makes cooking a meal easy. If your counters are cluttered with various small appliances, bring this up during the design phase. Let the designer/general contractor know of your functionality needs so they design a space that offers both beauty and practicality.

Custom kitchen that will help sell in 5 years

Not Considering The Future of the Home

The Problem. Goals such as “Create a gorgeous kitchen with the latest colors and finishes” isn’t a goal that supports the overall plans for your home. That’s because it fails to consider your future plans for the home. These include goals such as how long you plan to live in the home, whether you plan to rent the home out to others, or if you plan to sell the home in the near future.

The Solution. Keep the design and materials aligned with the future of your home. If this is your forever home, go for the ultimate in personalization (that’s permission for red cabinets if that’s your heart’s desire). However, if your plans include a sale in the next five years, make choices that appeal to potential buyers. If the home is going to become a rental, opt for budget-friendly designs and finishes that offer durability.

Skipping New Plumbing

The Problem. Many homes in Orange County have experienced a leak due to failed copper piping. Failing to take advantage of this opportunity to re-plumb the area can be penny-wise and pound-foolish. When your pipes fail and you have a leak, the restoration team is going to cut through your cabinets, tiles, and floors. Matching finishes could be a nightmare.

The Solution. When the demo is complete and it’s time to start the remodeling process, go ahead and replace the plumbing. It will be less expensive while the pipes are exposed and accessible. Protect yourself from future headaches and construction by taking care of the pipes.

Black and white kitchen cabinetry with wood look flooring

This kitchen flows beautifully to the adjoining room

Ignoring The Rest of the Home

The Problem. Your custom kitchen features all the latest conveniences and is designed with the trendiest colors and finishes. And it doesn’t match any other room in the house. You failed to consider how the kitchen would look from adjoining rooms. Now the kitchen seems disassociated from the rest of the house. Bummer.

The Solution. Consider how the renovated kitchen will fit in with the rest of the home. Is the style consistent, and does the ingress and egress flow with adjoining rooms? Design the kitchen to be new and fabulous, but design it to be part of a larger home.

Custom Kitchen Remodeling in Orange County

Turn to Inspired Remodels and avoid the most common mistakes made during a custom kitchen remodel.

Inspired Remodels listens to your wants and needs and then designs a functional and beautiful space that fits with the rest of the home. Bring your dreams and inspiration, and watch Inspired Remodels bring them to life.

After kitchen remodeler adds open shelves storing white cups and plates

8 Custom Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

By Inspired Remodels / custom cabinets, Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

In Orange County, custom kitchen remodeling focuses on creating functional spaces that integrate technology and look as great as the work. Homeowners want kitchens that incorporate light, airy designs, that play off our beautiful natural surroundings. With a focus on indoor-outdoor living, in 2024, custom kitchen remodeling ideas brought to life by Inspired Remodels incorporate blues and greens and favor natural wood finishes. Here are a few custom kitchen remodel trends to inspire you as you dream of your new kitchen.

Open Concept Layout

When it comes to Orange County living, the kitchen remains the heart of the home. Naturally, open kitchen designs continue to be popular. It’s not uncommon for Inspired Remodels to remove walls and rework spaces to create a multifunctional area for cooking, eating, and entertaining.

Open concepts make the most of abundant natural light and make spaces appear larger than they are in reality.

Incorporate High-Tech

From lighting to smart appliances controlled by apps, technology makes its way from Silicon Valley to Saddleback Valley. Induction cooktops keep kitchens cooler and ovens that double as air fryers cook food using healthier methods.

Voice-controlled automation sets a timer and smart lighting options adjust illumination with the tap of a button or your smartphone. If you create a modern kitchen, don’t forget to take advantage of all that modern technology offers.

Functional Sinks and Islands

Sinks provide more than a space to wash your hands or pots and pans. Large workstation sinks and farmhouse sinks offer not only incredible utility but style as well.

Islands now incorporate spaces to prep food, clean up, or eat. Adding water or electricity to a kitchen island increases the possibilities when it comes to design. When used for entertainment, the island also doubles as space for a buffet. Don’t forget to make use of island space for storage as well.

Beverage Stations

Coffee lovers and wine aficionados both incorporate beverage centers to make beverage preparations easier and stylish as well. These stations include appliances like coffee or espresso makers or wine coolers. Once a fringe addition to a high-end custom kitchen, now beverage stations appear in many custom kitchen renovations.

Sustainable and Natural Materials

Natural wood cabinets and natural stone countertops such as quartz continue to be popular in Orange County custom kitchen remodeling projects. Wood floors and even wood-look tile grace custom kitchen floors. This is just one way that kitchen remodeling designs bring the natural beauty of the outdoors into Orange County kitchens.

Drawers Replace Doors

Spacious pull-out drawers replace lower cabinets for storage. Drawers provide more usable space as they make the entire space more accessible and easier to organize. Deep drawers offer an alternative to pull-out hardware in lower cabinets. They represent the next stage in the evolution of kitchen design. Custom and semi-custom cabinetry provides drawers deep enough for pots, pans, and just about anything else you need to store.

Designer Backsplashes

No longer relegated to keeping the area between upper cabinets and countertops clean, backsplashes offer a place to incorporate design elements. From decorative tile to glass mosaics, the backsplash is making a splash in Orange County kitchens.

Nature-Inspired Colors

Warm neutrals and nature-inspired colors like green and blue bring a cozy yet modern feel to Orange County kitchen designs. These colors show up in cabinets, paint, and backsplashes.

Custom Kitchen Remodeling Pros

When you are ready to turn your custom kitchen modeling dreams into reality, turn to Inspired Remodels. Work with a design-build team that offers a single point of contact through the entire process.

Local Home Remodeling Contractors Make a Big Difference With Little Touches

By Inspired Remodels / Bathroom Remodel, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Inspired Remodels, the local home remodeling contractors you love to follow on Instagram make a big difference in home remodeling with little touches. Because indeed, little things matter. Check out the latest and be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram too!

Plumbing Fixtures and Cabinet Hardware

Your plumbing fixtures and cabinetry hardware act like fashion accessories for your room. Think of them as jewelry for bathrooms and kitchens.

The clean lines and finish coordinate perfectly with the cabinet hardware. Both choices bring together the contrasting countertops and cabinets harmoniously. The ensemble is complete from top to bottom.

You enjoy the same finished feel even if you pick completely different finishes.

In this kitchen, a black faucet with a brass spray nozzle brings together the cabinet hardware finish with the sink. The choice of cabinet hardware with warm tones picks up the subtle gold tones in the backsplash tile without giving that dreaded gauche appearance.

As you see, two similar kitchen set-ups where cabinetry hardware and plumbing fixture choices add the finishing touches to well-appointed kitchens.

Local Home Remodeling Contractors Eschew Matchy Matchy Looks

Eclectic never looked so good. In the hands of Inspired Remodels, instead of every detail matching, every detail comes together in a symphony. Who wants to listen to one-note music? No one, ever. So why does every inch of a room match?

These local home remodeling contractors know how to bring together complementing elements to harmonize without every inch matching.

In the kitchen, no rule says the island and other countertops must match. If there is a rule, Inspired Remodels breaks it.

Look at how these two quartz countertops work together to create a room where everything works together, even when they aren’t the same material.

You get all business with the kitchen countertops. But when it comes to the island, why not have a little fun? The veining adds visual interest to the island material while the more traditional quartz countertop works perfectly with the backsplash.

Kitchens and countertops aren’t the only places Inspired Remodels breaks the matchy matchy rule.

In the bathroom, three different tile designs add bold visual drama to the updated design. The six-sided tile on the floor with contrasting grout couldn’t be more different than the subway tile on the walls. The shower floor tile also uses a multi-sided round shape, but the shape and color are different.

Taken together, it’s a masterpiece! And how easy it would have been to select the same color and shape tile for the walls and floors. But Orange County homeowners deserve inspired remodels, not easy remodels. Inspired Remodels delivers!